Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 538 individuals in a nationwide operation Thursday, focusing on illegal aliens involved in crimes ranging from gang activity to child predation and terrorism. Among those apprehended were 373 individuals with criminal convictions and 165 non-criminal arrests, according to the Trump administration.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that arrests included a suspected terrorist, four members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, and numerous individuals convicted of sex crimes against minors. The suspected terrorist was identified as 29-year-old Turkish national Gokhan Adriguzel, arrested in New York for entry without inspection.
Gang-related arrests included Venezuelan national Yoswaldo Jose Mata-Ribi, apprehended by ICE San Antonio, and MS-13 member Juan Francisco Sanchez Contreras of El Salvador, detained in New York. ICE also lodged a detainer for Sanchez Contreras, who is under a final removal order.
The operation prioritized child predators, with arrests spanning multiple cities. In Buffalo, New York, ICE arrested Ecuadorian national Luis Alberto Espinoza-Boconsaca, convicted of rape, and Dominican national Pedro Julio Mejia, convicted of sexual conduct against a child. Additional arrests included:
- Chicago: Carlos Gonzalez-Portilla, a Mexican national convicted of sexual abuse of a child under seven, domestic violence, and DUI.
- St. Paul: Honduran national Cristofer Alexander Ramirez-Oliva, convicted of third-degree sexual conduct with a minor.
- San Francisco: Mexican national Ariel Rene Romice-Patino, sentenced to 62 months for sexual exploitation of a child.
- Denver: Honduran national Magdaleno Zenen Hernandez Garcia, sentenced to 12 years for continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14.
ICE also arrested individuals convicted of attempted murder and other violent crimes. In Salt Lake City, Honduran national Inmer Alberto Escobar-Sagastume, convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, was taken into custody. ICE Chicago arrested Mexican national Edgar Rivas-Rodriguez, who faces multiple convictions, including assault with a deadly weapon and methamphetamine possession. Rimon Aparicio-Pimentel, convicted of attempted murder, was also arrested in Chicago.
The operation included 1,041 removals or repatriations and 373 detainers lodged for individuals in custody awaiting deportation.
